FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
The Department of Defense Integrated Disability Evaluation System was first introduced in November 2007 as a means to integrate the way the DoD and Veterans Affairs manage processing benefits for wounded, ill and injured Service members.
Now, in its final phase of implementation, IDES has expanded to Fort Eustis, and Soldiers will now only have "one stop" to make when undergoing their medical evaluation board process.
In essence, the IDES system replaced the legacy system which was the administrative process formerly used in processing Army and VA benefits claims.
Under the legacy system, the medical disability process began at the local medical treatment facility when a medical examiner determined that a medical condition interferes with a Service member's ability to perform his or her duties. The case would be referred to the Physical Evaluation Board for a determination of fitness or unfitness for duty.
If a Service member wass found unfit, the PEB would assign a percentage combined percentage rating for the unfit condition(s), and the Service member is discharged from duty. The Service member would then enter the VA service connection disability-benefit process.
The strategic aim of IDES is to avoid any delays in the claim process, with Service members beginning their VA claim while simultaneously undergoing the DoD evaluation process. This system also assures the armed services will maintain a "ready force." The process is meant to be "Soldier centered," and reduce the period of time it would take for Soldiers to receive their benefits (or the benefit gap). In addition, it helps Service members avoid the need to navigate the VA system on their own.
Under the IDES system, Service members would enter both DoD and VA claim process at the same time. This approach makes for a concurrent rather than a sequential process. Once a Soldier is referred to the medical evaluation board, a Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officer, or "PEBLO," will initiate a VA claim referral as well. The PEBLO will act as a "case manager" overseeing the Service member's claim across both the DoD and VHA systems.
An initial General Accounting Office report found that processing times under the new IDES system averaged between 274 and 296 days, a considerable improvement over the estimated 540 days the old legacy system would take. An overall general satisfaction among Service members was noted.
The report also underlined some remaining implementation challenges. The logistics of having both VHA and DoD IDES fully staffed and the co-location of DoD and VA evaluation teams.
At Fort Eustis, both of these conditions have been met. The Fort Eustis IDES team is fully staffed under the supervision of Dr. Paul Duch IDES Medical Director, and Margarete J. Bailey, Disability Evaluation Service chief.
The team is located on the first floor of the McDonald Army Health Center, opposite the command hall. The VA IDES team recently moved to the same location, with their offices located at the end of the hall. Including MCAHC, IDES is currently operational at 16 of 35 military treatment facilities.